Now Dance and Sing
by quitetrueindeed
Summary: She knew she annoyed the crap out of him. So she visited him every chance she had.


I felt like changing the ending a little. Yea…

Summary: She knew she annoyed the crap out of him. So she visited him every chance she had.

It had been a surprise when Ludo first invited her back to the Labyrinth. More shocking was to find she was allowed to or at least, that she had the power to. Yes, Sarah knew that the great Goblin King had no power over her, but she discovered she held quite some power over him. How she loved to rub it in his face.

She would have paid anything to see the look on his face when he discovered she was back. Luckily she had the Goblin King under her reign so she just had him conjure up a crystal that saw into the past. The look was priceless: confusion, realization, hurt pride, anger.

"Who told you?" He gritted out through his teeth as he came before her in all his glory of wind and lighting. He was fae, after all, he had to show off at a vulnerable time like that.

"Doesn't matter, I wouldn't allow you to hurt them," she smiled as she crossed her arms, "I mean. That's why you're mad, right? My awesome hold on you," she stepped closer to him as his gaze intensified into roaring flames.

"You see! That piercing look, or whatever, doesn't work on me. I beat you: I have power over you Goblin King," she poked his chest as she equaled his glare and then clapped her hands with a toothy smile, "Isn't it grand!"

She loved his expression when she waltzed into his castle. She had the pleasure of seeing that in person. Her evil plan began right away with suggestions on décor and getting rid of junk in the throne room.

All Jareth could do was run around the room trying to stop the Goblins from doing her bidding and pleading to her himself, "My dear, that is actually quite valuable. You, don't listen to her. Wait! You, put that back. Sarah, don't you dare!"

How he hated her.

She reveled in his frustration. Nothing close to the emotions he had placed upon her with the thought of loosing her baby brother, but enough to drive him crazy.

"So how about dread locks…" Her eyes grew to globes, "PURPLE DREADLOCKS!!!"

…….

"Now dance around the tree…singing: Sarah is beautiful, wise, and glorious. Oh, and the prettiest prom queen you have ever seen!"

He started pulling out the flowers form his currently orange locks, "Are you serious?"

"Put those flowers back and yes." She leaned back against a tree closing her eyes to rest.

"Alright, but do I have to dance? You're not even looking."

"Yea, but I want to hear the gracefulness of your light foot work," she smiled. She was holding back a laugh.

Ever so light footsteps upon the soft grass came to her ears. Then his deep soothing voice, "Sarah is beautiful, wise, and…"

…….

"I can't believe I'm doing this."

"Srub harder. That little guy looks like he hasn't bathed in a while. Honestly, I don't know why I hadn't thought of this before."

"Erm, Sire, if ya' cood git beteen the shoulda blades?"

Jareth stopped in mid srub, looked the goblin in the eyes and melted him internally, "Soon."

The goblin looked turned away, dread in his eyes of his impending doom.

After her audacity to paint the throne room a pale pink, she wouldn't let him change it for his council meeting.

He ran his gloved fingers through his hair, "Love, please. I ask you, I implore: just for today, allow me to change the castle back to its original state. I can not present myself before the council with the castle like this."

"I understand."

"Really?"

"And now I crush your hope. No."

"Sarah this isn't a game! It is my kingdom you are dealing with now," a little guilt from Sarah, "the council will doubt me if they find out I am being manipulated by a 16—"

"18!"

"Eighteen year old girl from Aboveground. I will see many allies of a hundred years reconsidering their alliance with me. You don't want that now do you?"

"Wow, I've never seen you so angry Goblin King. Must suck not to have any power to paint a room. But I swear the place looks great. Tell me how the meeting goes, k? I have to go study for finals. I'm so excited, after finals I'll be able to visit everyday for the summer. We'll have great times together!"

As she vanished into thin air Jareth hurled a crystal in vain at her direction, "This has gone quite far enough."

He made the mistake of being too generous once again. He couldn't wait for her to come to her senses. He liked games, but this one had been dragged on long enough. It was finally time to enjoy the glory of winning against the silly girl.

"So what should we do today my great king?" She sweetly asked him as she leaned over on his throne's back.

He took no heed to her words and just glared at the pit before him, "If only that was a pit of fire I could throw you in."

"Mmm. You could definitely make it into a pit of fire. I think it would add to the décor wonderfully. Although a little to the tacky side. Too bad I wouldn't let you throw me in it. If only you had at least an ounce of power over me," she crooned the last bit into his ear.

His plan was finished. He smiled at his imaginary fire pit. She straightened.

"Mmm. I so do wish, my love," and he walked away.

Her balance swayed. Damn his smile. Damn his pet names. Pet names that made her hesitate.

So she didn't manage to fully annoy him today. She had tomorrow…and the next day.

After her last visit, Jareth was different. His gaze on her didn't last as long as it use to. He didn't touch her every chance he had. The pet names started to die down into nothing. He avoided her.

She found him one day asleep on his throne. 'He doesn't expect me anymore.'

She sat at the steps of the pit to study his still form: beautiful creature. 'Why are you ignoring me? Did I go too far? I thought you liked games.' It was quite simple. She had been so successful in hating him, that when she realized she loved him it was too late to go back.

He stirred. 'You don't even look at me the same way.' The days passed and she would call on him only to receive his blank expression. 'I thought I would never see that cold stare from you again.' She couldn't stand it, soon enough she stopped calling. As the days dragged on without Jareth, she became restless. Things around her were dreary, irksome.

"Jareth."

He stood before her, staring at nothing. She looked up at him nervously. With no reaction, she couldn't recognize him. For the first time she was scared of him again. Her eyes started to dart away once she couldn't look him in the eyes. Fiddling with her hands her voice cracked, "Hey…I was wondering…"

"Sarah, if you are going to pull another prank or you just want to frustrate me: get on with it and let us be done with it. I have work to do." Jareth looked her in the eyes and there was nothing. No mirth, no playfulness, no awe, no affection.

She cried. She looked back and cried. It was the only thing she could do and he was gone.

"Ludo you're a simple, straight forward kind of guy. What do you think is wrong?"

"Wrong? Sarah sad."

"You're so sweet, but I meant what's wrong with Jareth?"

"Jareth sad."

"Maybe he's tired of me."

"No one tired of Sarah. Jareth sad because Sarah be mean."

"Mean?"

"You not treat Jareth fair."

"Fair? My dear Ludo, I wonder what your basis for comparison is."

"He let you in labyrinth to save brother. You give him no chance."

Sarah said nothing.

_________________________________

He didn't even sing anymore. She was sure he never sang to her directly, but she liked to wonder if that sparkle in his eye was there because of her. She could just force him to sing, but that was the problem. She never had to before. It was always a game. She never even mentioned his name at the risk of getting too familiar, too close. She knew she would get hurt.

She was freaking out. It wasn't supposed to go this way. She wasn't supposed to care if he got tired of her. She wasn't supposed to get that close. She roamed the halls of the castle alone, trying to figure out what exactly she was going to do. She needed to settle things.

'I had to fall in love with the bad guy. Had to torture him for revenge, fall in love with him, but drive him away. Classic.'

"Stupid man."

"Even when I am not present you ridicule me to the walls, I should have thought as much."

Her thoughtful gaze reached his eyes, "Can you take me back to the ballroom?"

She didn't have to explain what ballroom, they were already there. She wore an elegant black gown that was a stark contrast against the pure white around them. He was wearing the same outfit he had long ago but matched her dress in color. She studied the room as a distant song chimed in the recesses of her mind. She started to laugh.

In reaction he finally showed her an emotion: he was puzzled. That made her laugh even harder, "I'm , I'm…" with her hands she pressed against her stomach in an effort to stop the pain from her insidious laughter, "I'm really sorry…about all of this…I'm really stupid…," she wiped the tears in the corners of her green eyes, "I can't stop laughing, I'm really nervous…" as she sobered, she stood straight and looked him in the eyes. They were still confused, but there was something else…

"So, I was thinking," a giggle escaped her lips, "I was thinking of that day and what you had offered me. I never understood how I could fear you and love you at the same time. The idea of fearing you but you being my slave didn't make anymore sense either. Not until these past few weeks do I understand, because," she looked away from his clear eyes, "I was so scared of loosing you."

Tears came back to her eyes, this time from the rush of mixed emotions.

"Thinking that you didn't care about me broke my heart into pieces. I didn't want to accept it, but…" She glanced at his eyes, afraid he might not even be listening. He hadn't said a word. He was looking at her though. She took that as attentive listening. She breathed.

"I love you." Before she could see if he reacted she walked away. She didn't look at him but paced back and forth in front of him. In a flurry of words she continued her thoughts.

"Then I kept thinking and realized it went both ways…Jareth, you fear me because you do as I say and you do as I say because you are my slave, which you are because I have power over you…there's one thing I don't know though: do you love me?"

She turned to him, finding him warmly smiling at her. He walked to close the distance between them.

"Silly girl." He brushed his fingers down her cheek, "How do you suppose you have power over me?"

She smiled as she wrapped her arms around his torso, holding on to dear life. "I was hoping that was it. I just didn't want to risk saying it and," she held him tighter" being wrong."

"You have made my life hell for weeks" He wrapped his arms around her small form "And I have never been happier."

Jareth pulled her away a little gazing at the woman who unknowingly caught his heart. He rested his chin on her head and breathed in while he tightly embraced her, "So who won?"

"How about I cut you a break and give this one to you?"

He smiled and kissed her forehead, "I appreciate your generosity, love."

She giggled as she snuggled into his chest. After a few moments of comfort, she stepped away from him heading towards the doors to the hall, "You know I really liked the throne room pink."

His face fell. With warning in his voice he responded emphatically, "No Sarah."

She smiled innocently, "I wonder how hot pink would look."

He walked cautiously towards her as she slowly moved closer to the doors, "Sarah, please, we're done with that nonsense, right?"

She laughed as she ran out the doors.

Astonished he stared at the open doors. "Maybe it's just an obsession not love. Yes. Obsession. So no love means no power." The king stood there proud of his genius. He didn't have time to savor the moment as he was suddenly summoned to the throne room and hypnotically splashed the walls with hot pink.

----When will love be through with me? Why live life from dream to dream and dread the day when dreaming ends? One day I'll fly away. Leave all this to yesterday. Why live life from dream to dream and dread the day when dreaming ends?-----


End file.
